School of Education

Course

Instructor

Semester

Spring 2016

Name

Dr. Kirsten Allman

Number

EDUC/COUN 5339

Telephone

832.247.0000

Title

Human Growth and

Development

Email

allmank@stthom.edu

Section

2535

Office Hours

By Appointment

Location

Online

Location

N/A

Time

Prerequisites

None

Textbooks Required

Berger, K. S. (2014). The developing person through the

lifespan (9th ed.). New York: Worth Publishers.
American Psychological Association. (2010). Publication
manual of the American Psychological Association (6th
ed.). Washington, D.C.: American Psychological
Association.
Note. See Assignments, below, for additional book
requirement for Book Case Study assignment.

Course Description

General processes of development from conception

through death, with attention to physical, cultural, social,
and emotional relationships.

Major Learning Outcomes

By the end of this course, you will be able to:
1. Compare and contrast major theories of human development.
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2. Identify key physical, cognitive, and psychosocial milestones across the lifespan.

3. Discuss educational implications of each developmental stage.

4. Describe developmental problems and their associated risk factors.

5. Analyze the influence of socio-cultural factors on developmental processes.

Evaluating the Course: IDEA Course Objectives
The masters program and your instructor greatly value feedback. In addition to providing
informal feedback throughout the course, you are strongly encouraged to complete the endof-course evaluation. This is one of the main ways we have to assess the quality of the
course (and the instructor) and make improvements. The University of St. Thomas uses
IDEA Centers evaluation. As part of this evaluation, you will be asked to rate how effective
the course and the instructor were for helping you achieve the following objectives. Please
be thoughtful in your evaluation and provide suggestions for improvement. We
strive for a 100% response rate, with reliable and valid responses!

IDEA #1: Gaining factual knowledge (terminology, classifications, methods, trends).

IDEA #2: Learning fundamental principles, generalizations, or theories.

IDEA #3: Learning to apply course material (to improve thinking, problem solving,
and decisions).

Social Justice Tenets Guiding this Course

Selected social justice teachings of the Catholic Church are used to inform School of
Education programs. These tenets of social justice should play a pivotal role in educational
decision-making in Catholic, private, and public schools of all levels:

Subsidiarity: Educational institutions should be organized and governed as much

as possible by the community being served; education should only be controlled at

higher levels of society when it cannot be done effectively locally.
Dignity and rights of children: Children possess full human dignity and are
bearers of rights which should be recognized and upheld in educational processes.

People have a right to an education: All people have a responsibility, for the good
of society, to contribute to and foster education.

Assignments and percentages of course grade

Field interview PowerPoint presentation and responses: 25%

Book case study assignment: 25%
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Discussion Boards/Participation: 15%

Journal entries: 15%
Final exam: 20%

Due dates are presented in the Course Schedule, Details about each assignment are
provided below, after the Course Schedule.
Assignments must be submitted to the instructor in Blackboard before midnight on the due
date. Please include your name in the file name. It is your responsibility to ensure
that the instructor receives your documents. Five points per day will be deducted from any
assignment turned in late.
All work must be written in APA style, using MS Word. Font must be Times New Roman,
12-point, and double-spaced, and margins must be 1-inch. Please include your name, the
date, and a title at the top of each written assignment. A running head and a cover page are
not necessary.
All activities are required, and frequent visits to Blackboard are encouraged. You should log
in at least 2-3 times a week to check Announcements, review Discussion Board feedback,
etc. Online students: If you have not logged in at some point during the first week of class,
you can be dropped from the class.
You are expected to participate in all class activities (including Discussion Board
assignments) in a professional manner. Any unprofessional behavior will result in zero
credit for the assignment.
If you miss one Discussion Board or class period (for in-person classes), you must speak
with the instructor to discuss a plan for preventing future late work. More than one missed
assignment or course session may result in administrative withdrawal from the class.
You are also expected to be punctual. More than one late Discussion Board response will
result in zero credit for participation for the late Discussion Board.

Grade

Grade Points

Numeric Range Set by Instructor

4.0

93 100

A-

3.7

90 92

B+

3.3

87 89

3.0

83 86
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B-

2.7

80 82

C+

2.3

77 79

2.0

73 76

C-

1.7

70 72

D+

1.3

67 69

1.0

60 66

0.0

< 60

Student Accommodations
In accordance with Section 504 of the Federal Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Americans
with Disabilities Act of 1990, the instructor will make all possible and reasonable
adjustments in policies, practices, services, and facilities to ensure equal and optimal
educational programs and activities. Whenever a special accommodation is necessary to
ensure access to full participation by students with disabilities, the student must inform the
instructor of any disability or needed accommodations.
The University Office for ADA Compliance may ask to seek proof of disability and specify
accommodations as requested by students. Students with special needs should inform the
instructor within the first two weeks of class. Students must also contact the Office of
Counseling and Disability Services (2nd floor of Crooker Center) by calling Dr. Rose
Signorello at 713-525-3162 or Ms. Debbie Jones at 713-525-6953; the Office is open 8-5
Monday through Friday.
The accommodations will become official when the instructor receives official, written
notification from the officer in charge of ADA compliance. Students should contact the
instructor immediately if new needs arise. All information will be confidential.

Professional Standards of Behavior for Students and Faculty

Academic integrity

Masters-level students in the School of

Education demonstrate integrity in all of
their activities, both personal and
professional. Any unprofessional behavior or
failure to adhere to the honor system is a
serious violation of integrity and may result
in failure of the course.
Plagiarism involves taking credit for
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another persons work. You must cite

sources in APA style any time source
material (e.g., books, journal articles,
internet material, etc.) has been used,
paraphrased, or quoted. Quoted material
must be placed in quotation marks and
referenced appropriately. Please note that
copying information directly from a source
without giving credit, using friends work,
buying papers online, re-using ones own
work from previous classes, etc., all
constitute plagiarism.
Any instance of plagiarism will result in
failure of the course and may result in
dismissal from UST. Ignorance is no excuse;
if you remain uncertain about the guidelines
for using and citing source material after
these issues are addressed, you should seek
input from the instructor.
Technology Requirements and

This course relies heavily on Blackboard 9,

which is best viewed in the Firefox or
Chrome browser. (A free download can be
obtained at www.firefox.com or
www.google.com/chrome.) Please familiarize
yourself with Blackboard through the
tutorial (in the Start Here! menu).

Guidelines

Additional information about technology

requirements, skills, and Netiquette can be
found on the Start Here! page in Blackboard.
Use of UST email accounts

You are encouraged to use your UST email

account. The instructor may send messages
through BlackBoard, which uses your UST
address. If you have linked your UST
account to another account, be sure to
periodically clean out your UST mailbox so
that it doesnt become overloaded (which can
prevent you from receiving new emails).
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Instructor availability

The instructor will be available for

consultation during office hours and during
scheduled appointments. It is strongly
recommended you not wait until too late in
the course before seeking guidance. Please
come prepared with questions so that the
consultation time can be spent effectively.

Language diversity

The University of St. Thomas values the

ability to speak more than one language.
The Masters programs at UST are
especially sensitive to issues of language
diversity. The instructor is available to meet
with you if you need help with written
English. In addition, computer support is
available if you need additional review of
English fundamentals.

Course Schedule, Learning Outcomes, and Assignments

Learning

Due

Instructional

Learning

Module

Date

Focus

Outcomes

Readings

Assignments

*
Orientatio
n

1/26

Orientation

Start Here! page

Syllabus

Take Orientation quiz.

Complete Discussion Board:
Introductions and photos.

2/2

Foundations: Theory
and research

Chapters 1, 2

2/9

Nature and nurture:

Genetics,
environment, and
prenatal
development

2, 4

Chapters 3, 4

View mini-lecture on the lifespan

perspective.
Watch video on the scientific
method.
Watch video on developmental
theories.
Watch video on genetics.
Watch video on prenatal
development.
View mini-lecture on prenatal and
perinatal problems and solutions.
Complete Journal entry: Gender
role socialization.

2/16

Infancy and
toddlerhood:
biosocial, cognitive,
and psychosocial
development

2, 4, 5

Chapters 5, 6, 7

Watch videos on the first two years

of life.
View mini-lecture on Piagets
sensorimotor stage.
Watch video on attachment theory.
Complete Discussion Board:
Attachment and culture.

2/23

Early childhood I :
Biosocial and
cognitive
development

2, 3, 4, 5

Chapters 8, 9

3/1

Early childhood II:

Psychosocial
development

2, 5

Chapter 10

Watch videos on development in

early childhood.
View mini-lecture on prevention of
child maltreatment.
Watch video on theory of mind.

Watch video on social-emotional

development in early childhood.
Watch video on play in childhood.
View mini-lecture on discipline.

Complete Journal entry:

Discipline
6

3/8

Middle childhood I:
Biosocial and
cognitive
development

2, 3, 4, 5

Chapters 11, 12

View mini-lecture on health

problems in middle childhood.
Watch video on development in
middle childhood.
Watch video on concrete
operational thought in middle
childhood.
Complete Discussion Board:
Socio-cultural influences on
education.

3/15

Middle childhood II:

Psychosocial
development

2, 4

Chapter 13
Article linked in
BB

View mini-lecture on stress in

childhood.
Review video segments on socialemotional development in middle
childhood.
Complete Journal entry: Peer
influence.

3/22

Adolescence I:
Biosocial and
cognitive
development

2, 4

Chapters 14, 15

3/28

Adolescence II:
Psychosocial
development

2, 3, 4

Chapter 16

Watch video on the adolescent

brain.
View mini-lecture on brain
development and risky behavior.
Watch video on adolescent
cognition.
PowerPoint presentation due.
Watch video on adolescent
cognition and social-emotional
development.
View mini-lecture on
psychopathology in adolescence.
Responses to presentations
due.

Complete Journal entry:

Challenges in adolescence

10

4/5

Emerging
adulthood: Biosocial,
cognitive, and
psychosocial
development

2, 4, 5

Chapters 17, 18,

19

View mini-lecture on diathesis

stress model.
Watch video on successful
relationships.
Complete Discussion Board:
Socio-cultural influences on
relationship behaviors.

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4/12

Adulthood:
Biosocial, cognitive,
and psychosocial
development

2, 4

Chapters 20, 21,

22

Watch video on health and

development in adulthood.
View mini-lecture on cognitive
gains and losses in adulthood.
Complete Journal entry:

Employment caregiving balance.

12

4/19

Late adulthood:
Biosocial, cognitive,
and psychosocial
development and
end-of-life issues

2, 4, 5

Chapters 23, 24,

25, and Epilogue

View mini-lecture on stereotypes

about the elderly.
Watch video on happiness on older
adulthood.
Watch video on end-of-life care.
Complete Discussion Board:
Views of the elderly.

13

4/26

Course wrap-up

14

5/3

Final exam

1, 2, 4, 5

1, 2, 3, 4, 5

Book case study due.

Final exam: Short-answer and
essay questions.

The instructor reserves the right to make changes to this syllabus during the semester. Please check Blackboard on a regular
basis for updated information, announcements, and handouts.

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Description of Assignments:
1. Presentation on Interview of Development Expert: Select one from the following list of
development experts to interview: Developmental Specialist, Child Psychologist,
Pediatrician, Educational Diagnostician, or Geriatric Specialist. Based on ideas from the
text and your personal curiosity, develop interview questions and conduct the interview.
Then construct a PowerPoint presentation (minimum of five slides) illustrating themes
from the interview. You will also view and respond to one other students presentation as
part of this assignment.
2. Book Case Study: For this assignment, you will choose one of three books: Maya
Angelos I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, John Elder Robinsons Look Me in the Eye:
My Life with Aspergers, or William Landays Defending Jacob. After reading the
book, you will write a paper that discusses developmental issues in the book. You may
use course materials (text, supplementary readings, class notes, etc.) to build a framework
of theory and research to analyze the protagonists development and any socio-cultural
factors that influence development. This assignment will help you to understand the
complex issues of race/disabilities, gender, and social class in development. Papers
should be 5-6 pages long (not including title page and reference page), double-spaced,
using 12-point Times New Roman font and 1 margins. APA style must be used.
3. Discussion Boards: Each Discussion Board forum focuses on an issue related to culture
and development. To respond to the prompt, you will need to review the relevant
material in the textbook as well as material from at least one other source. You will then
post a thread (minimum of five lines; must include two sources) and respond to one
peers post, following the instructions in the Discussion Board forum.
4. Journal Entries: Each journal entry focuses on a key issue at a particular developmental
stage and requires fieldwork (e.g., observation, interview) and self-reflection. The
journal will not be public to peers (i.e., only you and your professor will be able to see
the entries); this will permit a more candid reflection on the issues. Instructions for each
journal entry are provided with the journal in Blackboard.
5. Final Exam: The final exam is a closed-book exam covering the most fundamental
information presented in the course. It consists of short-answer and essay questions.
Close reading of the text, careful viewing of videos and mini-lectures, and full
participation in course activities are essential elements in preparing for the final.
Questions will focus on the learning objectives presented in each module.

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